I hope this letter finds our families enjoying the end of summer and ramping up for another school year filled with growing and learning. With the start of school rapidly approaching on August 17th, I’m looking forward to another year of fantastic accomplishments for our students. It never ceases to amaze me how eager our children are to discover, absorb and share the knowledge that they acquire.

Our dedicated teaching staff has spent the past few weeks getting ready to welcome our students back to their classrooms. Our custodial staff has also been working extremely hard over the summer to have our buildings clean and polished in time for school to start. I am very grateful to our custodians for all of their hard work over the summer and during the school year as well. They are vital in making our district as successful as it is. Our students and staff appreciate starting off their new year in such an inviting environment. I would also like to thank our administrators and secretaries who have worked diligently throughout the summer helping new families to the district and getting things up to speed for the coming school year.

This year will be the second year for our “One to One” technology initiative with our students in grades 6-12 being given Chromebooks to use while in the classroom as well as at home. Last year the program was very successful with just a few tweaks needed to enhance it for the coming school year. There is also a new link on the district website homepage under Quick Links called “Chromebooks” that features links to information that are pertinent to Chromebook usage, such as How to Care for your Chromebook and Accessories, the top 25 Chromebook Apps for Students, and 5 Reasons Chromebooks Make Sense for Schools. There are also video links from the district that answer frequently asked questions, such as how to care for the Chromebook, printing options, internet safety/methods to filter content, and how to support your child with assignments and the usage of Google classroom. As a reminder, please take care with the Chromebook devices to avoid breakage and repairs.

With the beginning of classes also comes the beginning of our fall sports season. I want to wish “good luck” to our fall athletes and I look forward to yet another successful year in the Suburban League. I always enjoy attending the events and seeing our community rally behind our teams, cheering them on. This community support helps keeps the winning spirit alive and is just another example of what makes our district special.

As always, I welcome questions and comments and my office is always open. I feel it is important as superintendent to gain feedback in order to move our district forward. I am eager to start another school year and can’t wait to see all of our achievements.